UK weather live: Britain braces for coldest night of winter so far with temperatures to drop as low as -20C
The warning for snow comes amid continued weather disruption at airports and schools across the UK
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Your support makes all the difference.Britain is bracing for its coldest night of the winter so far, with temperatures forecast to plummet as low as -20C in some areas.
Thursday will be another “bitterly cold” night and is expected to be the coldest of the winter, the Met Office said. Temperatures as low as -16C to -20C are possible in Scotland, according to the BBC.
It comes as three fresh weather warnings for ice were issued by the Met Office, with two warnings covering most of England’s east coast, Wales, the Midlands, northwest England, and Northern Ireland until 10am on Friday.
A snow and ice warning for northern Scotland will now last until 10am tomorrow, and a yellow ice warning will cover southwest England and south Wales from 3am until 11am on Friday.
Last night, England, Wales and Northern Ireland all saw their coldest nights of the winter so far last night, with temperatures reaching -11.2C, -7.9C and -7.2C respectively, the Met Office said.
The coldest temperature across the whole UK last night was the -12.4C recorded at Tulloch Bridge in Inverness-shire - just short of the winter low of 13.3C recorded in the early hours of Monday.
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Three fresh weather warnings issued, one extended
Three fresh yellow weather warnings for ice have been issued by the Met Office across the UK, as a warning for snow and ice is extended.
The snow and ice warning, in place for northern Scotland, has been extended until 10am on Friday.
An ice warning has been introduced until Friday 10am for most of England’s east coast, stretching from East Anglia up to the southeast tip of Scotland.
Another is in place for most of Wales, areas of the Midlands and northwest England, and the northeastern half of Northern Ireland. It will be lifted at the same time.
A third weather warning for ice will be issued for south Wales and southwest England from 3am until 11am on Friday.
“Scattered wintry showers on Thursday evening will slowly fade overnight, leading to the risk of icy patches on untreated surfaces as temperatures fall below freezing,” the Met Office said.
Three weather warnings lifted
Three weather warnings have been lifted for snow and ice.
The warnings covered south west England, western and northern Wales, and northern parts of northern Ireland.
One yelloe warning for snow and ice remains in northern Scotland.
Manchester Airport warns of delays as runways reopen
Manchester Airport runways are now back open after a temporary closure due to heavy snow.
The airport said on X: “Our runways are now open but, as a result of the earlier closure, some departures and arrivals may still experience delays.
“Please check with your airline for the latest flight information and allow extra time for your journey today.
“We would like to thank teams for their hard work in getting the runways operational again.”
Yellow warning for ice in southern England lifted
A yellow weather warning for ice which has covered much of southern England for the past 10 hours has now been lifted.
Temperatures in the area currently range from around -2C to 3C.
As of now, there are no more weather warnings in place for the weekend - but the Met Office’s forecast for Wednesday said snow and ice warnings are “likely to be issued” on Thursday and Friday.
In pictures: The northeast freezes over
Walking and cycling safely in icy conditions
People who need to walk or cycle in areas at risk of snow and ice are advised by the Met Office to take extra care and leave early if possible.
The forecaster issued the following advice for those leaving their homes:
- Plan to leave the house five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush reduces your risk of accidents, slips and falls.
- If making a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.
- Take extra care when walking on untreated pavements and prepare for journeys by wearing footwear with a good grip.
- Where possible do not cycle on untreated roads as accidents are more likely.
What lies ahead for Thursday and Friday?
Low temperatures are set to continue and further snow and ice warnings are likely, as a northly airflow continues to bring cool weather to the UK, the Met Office said in its forecast yesterday.
Fronts moving in from the southwest on Friday and Saturday will bring the potential for more sleet and snow, the forecaster added.
Deputy chief forecaster Christoph Almond said: “Thursday will see another cold night, with potentially the lowest temperatures of the Winter so far, -15°C - possibly -16°C is likely in locations with lying snow in Scotland or northern England.
“In the early hours of Friday, a front arriving from the west will encounter the cold air in place over the UK. This could bring further sleet or snowfall for some regions in the south and west, as well as a risk of ice for a time as it moves north-eastwards into central parts, but the extent of this is still uncertain.”
Manchester Airport runways shut due to snow
Manchester Airport’s runways have been forced to close due to snow, it has announced.
“Our runways are temporarily closed due to significant levels of snow, as our teams work hard to clear them as quickly as possible,” the airport said on X.
“The safety of our passengers is our top priority, and we appreciate your patience during this time. Please check with your airline for the latest flight information and allow extra travel time today.
“We will update you as soon as possible. Thank you.”
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